Jeremiah 29:11-13 ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’

 Romans 11:25-36; 1 Samuel 21-22; Psalm 66

Over the past centuries, the biblical story of King Solomon’s gold has set off one of the most amazing treasure hunts in  history.  The story of King Solomon in the  Old Testament said he had gold in abundance, even his drinking cups were made of it. And perhaps what fired the imagination of treasure hunters the most was the verse in 1 Kings 9:28 which said Solomon’s servants, went to Ophir ‘and fetched from thence gold, 420 talents’ – roughly 20 tons. The location of Ophir then became a mystery many sought to unravel.  The prospect of boundless gold booty inspired ambitious men to set sail into vast and dangerous oceans looking for the land of Ophir. Various calculations of the location of Ophir was given by astronomers and geographers. These location varied from Pakistan, to  Malaysia, Indonesia, to the Shona lands of Zimbabwe in Africa etc. Famous explorer Christopher Columbus one time believed he had found Ophir in Haiti, and another explorer Sir Walter Raleigh believed it was in the jungles of Surinam. In 1885, Henry Rider Haggard’s best-selling book ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ further fueled the imagination of treasure hunters. Finding its location were pursued by the ancient Greeks, Renaissance adventurers and Victorian explorers. Yet despite the desperate search, over  the centuries, King Solomon’s mines has remained as elusive as ever. However, recently Archeologists believed they had discovered the lost mines in the desert, south of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Unfortunately no gold was found in it, rather what they found was copper. But that has not deterred treasure hunters from believing that they will one day still find King Solomon’s treasure trove of gold.

Indeed it is amazing how far men can go in the quest for gold. Through the centuries, these men were willing to risk their lives to follow unsure treasure trails which led to no certain destination, all for the remote possibility of finding a pot of gold at the end of the tunnel. Imagine if people can only search for God as desperately.

In Jeremiah 29:13 God says ‘And you shall seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all your heart.’

The pursuit of God is the secret card to finding  Life’s greatest treasures. It is when we first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, that every other thing, including gold, is added unto us.  (Matt. 6:33). Indeed when we find God, we find life’s ultimate treasure.  In the school of success, seeking God in truth is a principal factor, it is the treasure path to securing gold.  We will prosper in accordance with the prosperity of our soul.

According to Psalm 112:1-3, wealth and riches are found in the house of the man that fears the LORD, and delights greatly in his commandments. It is therefore the depth of our understanding of the truths of scriptures that determines the height of our triumph in life. Indeed they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing! [Psalm 34:10]

True prosperity is a function of divine enablement; it is having the hand of God upon a man’s life.  Any effort to build a great business will be a labour in futility, except God’s hand is there. Because except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:. By strength shall no man prevail and without Christ we can do nothing. We have to come to the understanding that it is the blessings of God that make rich and not the smartness of men. Indeed it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Therefore running to and fro searching for a shortcut or secret path that leads to wealth is an exercise in futility. Seeking God and His kingdom first is the true path to wealth and success in life. Indeed those who seek God meet gold, but those who seek gold miss God.

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to make seeking You my greatest priority in life. Please, grant me the grace to always seek first Your kingdom and righteousness, so that every other thing shall be added unto me in Jesus Name..

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Illuminate your world, for you are a star destined to shine- – WORDBITE 222.

Ephesians 3: 20-21 ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in.’

•  DAILY READING –    Romans 11:1-24; 1 Samuel 20; Psalm 65

The book ‘Life Without Limits’ is the amazing story of pastor Nick Vujicic. He was born without arms or legs,  but today is an internationally successful inspirational speaker  and founding president and CEO of the non-profit organization Life Without Limbs. When he was born, Nick’s parents Pastor Boris Vujicic,  and nurse Dushka Vujicic – were not given any medical explanation or warning about his condition. And Nick while growing up, said the most important thing in his  life was to understand why God made him without arms and legs. He said he spent eight years asking God, “Why? Why was I born this way? I don’t understand how can You say You love me when You allow me to stay in this pain.”

Nick finally got the answer to his desperate prayers from John 9:1-3,, where Jesus speaking of the man who was blind said he was born that way so that the works of God might be displayed in him.. Nick said  God spoke to his heart through that scripture, and he was assured that God indeed had a plan for creating him that way. And today that plan is evident as Nick has become  a great inspiration to people  all over the world.

Indeed Nick’s life is a stark example to us to trust God to do the impossible in our lives. There is no situation God cannot turn around and use to His glory. If God can do so much with a man without limbs how much more will He do with those who have limbs? Of a truth God has used the base things of this world to confound the wise. What men think is impossible, is totally possible to God. And the more difficult the situation, the more God loves to show up and show Himself mighty on behalf of those who trust in Him. So it doesn’t matter how tough your situation may seem, don’t be discouraged, there is hope for you. God is able to turn it all around for you. It doesn’t matter what maybe battling against you, God will always give you the victory when you trust in Him. Surely, they that trust in Him shall never be ashamed.

Ephesians 3: 20-21 says ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in.’

We can accomplish anything if we are determined enough to trust God and rely on Him to help us. Indeed God is able to do for us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or imagine. God is not man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Therefore, whatever promise of God you are holding on to today, trust God for the speedy accomplishment of His Word in your life. Keep praising God for its manifestation, and surely God will turn it all around for you. No matter how difficult things may look right now, don’t give up hope yet, keep believing, remain expectant because your miracle is already on the way. And never forget, it is not over until God says so.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to believe You for the impossible in my life. Please help me to be totally dependent upon you, because You  indeed can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name. 

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As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle.

Psalm 139:14,  ”I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

DAILY READING – Romans 9:30-10:21; 1 Samuel 19; Psalm 64

In 2012 various News headlines carried the story of  Michael Morton, who for 25 years served in death row being accused in 1987 of murdering his wife,. However in 2012 f after a DNA test was carried out he was found innocent and released.  His is one of the cases that the discovery of DNA testing has helped. The past few years have seen a parade of DNA exonerations, where people who were formerly convicted and awaiting on death row, due to the discovery of DNA testing are now being proved innocent. Because human DNA is unique, forensic scientists are able to identify or eliminate suspects in crime cases through a process of genetic fingerprinting. All that is needed is a drop of blood, spittle, or even a single strand of hair and this genetic fingerprinting can be performed. DNA has become a common element in proving the innocence or guilt of a person because DNA contains most of our inherited traits, ranging from the color of our eyes to the diseases to which we are susceptible. In short, it contains our genetic code and is inherited from our parents. The cells of the human body contain a complete sample of a person’s DNA. A single string or strand of DNA is packed into a space roughly equal to a cube 1/millionth of inch on a side. Basically, every part of the human body is made of these cells and each contains a sample or complement of DNA identical to that of every other cell within a given person. Indeed through DNA, God has written our identity indelibly upon our cells from the moment of our conception. The marvel of the human body declares the presence of Intelligent Design. It is the work of a Creator rather than natural selection and evolution, as science would have us believe.

Think of David’s words in Psalm 139:14, ”I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Indeed you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are created unique for your situation. All that concerns you God has already decided and worked out before sending you to the earth. This is the wonder of the genetic code found in the DNA because it shows we have been predetermined and packaged before being brought into this world. Therefore we are not here to decide destiny, rather we are here to discover destiny. We are to discover what God’s will is for us and walk in it.  Think about it, God did not consult any of us, before He sent us into this world. Every decision concerning our nature was made by God alone. The colour of our skin,  our height, etc had all been decided by God. He decided our sex and our tribe. Therefore, since we had no hand in the basic decision of our existence how do we think we can grow up and suddenly become boss and begin to take all the decisions, and forget the one who started the process. No matter how big we think we can become God’s plan for us will always be greater. And His blessing makes rich and adds no sorrow. The best thing therefore to do in life is to find out God’s plan and purpose  for us and follow it. Living outside of God’s will is what puts men into trouble. Walking in God’s will is the best path to follow in life. And this we do through diligent study of scriptures and a fervent prayer life. When you are in God’s will, no matter how difficult the journey may initially seem, it is only a matter of time before the fullness of His beautiful plan for you manifests. Therefore, wait on God, wait on His timing for you. Indeed though your beginning may be small, your end shall surely be great.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Please help me to always submit to Your guidance, help me to seek only Your will in every decision and to follow Your path to the  great destiny you have for me in Jesus Name.  

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God’s will is God’s bill,  God always makes provision for His vision

– WORDBITE 222.

Isaiah 45:2  ‘I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron’

DAILY READING  Romans 9:1-29; 1 Samuel 17:55-18:30; Psalm 63

John G. Lake  was one of the greatest men used by God in the past century. The story of John G. Lake is one of incredible displays of God’s power, divine provision and mighty signs and wonders. Before answering the call to full time ministry, John was a successful business man who had built up an enviable business career. In fact by 1905 John G Lake was making $50,000 per year, which would be like upwards of 1.3 million dollars today. However, after some time of contemplation and seeking the Lord, God confirmed to John and his wife Jennie that they were to move to South Africa to begin a  new life of ministry. In preparation for their mission trip, John forsook his business career and mega-salary, in addition he and his wife also gave away all that they had. Then along with some of their  ministry partners, they embarked on an uncertain journey to South Africa. They had no money, nor any idea of how or where they would be accommodated. In fact, they had at all no ministry contact in South Africa. However,  when they arrived in  Johannesburg, South Africa, soon after they cleared customs, and wondering what next to do, a woman approached John and asked how many people were in their family. When John replied “9 people” she shouted ”you’re the ones!” She went on to tell John that the Lord had spoken to her the night before that she was  to give her home to a family of 9 people who were coming from America to do God’s work. John, Jennie and their crew rejoiced in the dramatic provision of the Lord. Indeed it was obvious that The Lord had gone ahead of them to prepare the way. And their time in South Africa was marked with waves of revival, where multitudes were saved, healed and delivered over the course of their 5 year ministry tour in South Africa.

In Isaiah 45;2 God says ‘I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron’

When we trust in God, He goes ahead of us to make crooked paths straight. Indeed God can send help from quarters we least expected. As we enter the new month of February, some people may be apprehensive, concerning what the month may yield. Especially for people in Nations like Nigeria facing crucial elections this  month, there is expectedly a lot of concern. However, no matter what the situation may seem, as believers we know  that God has already gone ahead of us to make every crooked path straight. We know indeed that He has exceeded our expectations and made ways where there had seemed to be no way. It doesn’t matter how uncertain things may look like, we are assured that February indeed will turn out to be a miracle month for us. It is a month in which as individuals and as a people we shall see the glory of God in a new dimension. God  will arise to shew Himself strong and mighty on behalf of those who trust in Him.

February may indeed be an uncertain month for unbelievers, but not so for the children of God. Though they may say ‘no one knows tomorrow’, as believers, we know the one who holds tomorrow. And because God never sleeps nor slumbers we can be assured that our tomorrow is secure in His hands.

Duetronomy  1:30 says ‘The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes.’

Indeed God will fight for His people. And one way that God fights for us is through the weapon of The Blood of Jesus. Just as the mark of the blood placed a seal of protection upon the Israelites in Egypt, in the same way  as believers today, the blood of Jesus has sealed and separated us from every evil agenda. Indeed through the blood of Jesus, every Goliath, every pharaoh, that stands to resist our glorious destiny are all swallowed up. Therefore, no matter how uncertain the road may seem, let us be assured that faithful is He that called us, who also will do it. God is able to see His people through gloriously this month. And because, the path of the just is as a shinning light that shines brighter and brighter, we believe that things can only keep getting better for us in this new month. Indeed by the blood of Jesus, throughout this month we shall enjoy divine covering and live in victory as favored sons of God upon the earth.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the power that is in the blood of Jesus. I know that through the blood of Jesus this month shall be a glorious month for me. Indeed through out this year, my story shall be from glory to glory in Jesus Name.

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When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Wordbite 222

Romans 9:16 ‘it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.’

DAILY READING –   –  Romans 8; 1 Samuel 17:1-54; Psalm 62

It is said, man has created more information in the last decade, than in all of past human history. We are living in an age of Information overload. Daniel rightly predicted that at the time of the end, knowledge shall be increased. [Daniel 12:4]. That is what we are seeing now. Our minds are constantly under the barrage of news and information. And unfortunately, men seem to have become addicted to the hyper stimulation of this information super highway. Many people simply cannot do without information constantly coming from their phones, ipads, computers etc. Indeed, this is the most distracted generation ever.

In this information bombardment, it has become increasingly difficult for people to find time to be quiet, to think, and to pray. Man seems constantly on the run. Early each morning, as the alarm clock goes off like a whistle, the race begins. There seems to be so much to do daily; a job to get to, appointments to keep, places to go, datelines to meet etc. Again Daniel had predicted that at the time of the end, many shall run to and fro. And today, people are in an unending race, racing from one thing to another. No wonder we are called the ‘’human race.”

Yet the Bible in Romans 9:16 says ‘it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.’ It is the grace of God that makes the race great. All of man’s race, if it lacks grace, will end in disgrace. Indeed without Jesus we can do nothing. We must therefore  set our priorities right.

As Christians, in this end-time God must have the first place in our lives. He must have the first place in everything. Time spent with Him each day in fellowship must be top priority. It is none negotiable. No matter how busy we are, we cannot compromise our quiet time. It is a total necessity. We must break out of the vicious circuit of the ‘human race’ and daily ensure we maintain God’s Presence.

Galilee in Hebrew means ‘circuit’. Joseph and Mary had to get out of Galilee, break out of the ‘circuit’ and get into Judea [meaning Praise] before she could give birth to the savior. Likewise to birth God’s divine plan for our lives, we must break out of the circuit and come into the place of worship. It is in this place of intimacy that we receive from Heaven. We cannot allow the distractions of this age, to keep us from God’s Presence. God is the source of all our victories. When we bow in God’s Presence, men will bow to us.  Job  29 :19 – 21 speaks of how the dew lay all night upon his branch, and  his glory was fresh in him, and as a result men gave ear to him and  kept quiet at his counsel. As you fellowship with God, His Glory rubs off on you. And like Moses when you come out of the place of fellowship, your face will shine with God’s glory.  Therefore to see the glory as prophesied for this year we must ensure we spend quality time daily with God in intimate fellowship. Indeed His Presence always make the  difference. This is why we must not disconnect from  fellowship with God. Let us therefore avoid the distractions of this age. This world and everything in it is fast passing away. Let us not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Let us invest time in fellowship with God. Let us feed on His Word. That is what will matter at the end of the age. As Isaiah 40:8 says, the grasses will wither and the flowers will fade, but The Word of our God shall stand  forever.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always make You the top priority in my life. May I always spend time in fellowship with You so as to carry Your Presence that will make the difference in my life, in Jesus Name. .

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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.

Revelation 12;11 ‘and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives to the death.

‘DAILY READING – Romans 7; 1 Samuel 16; Psalm 61

Recently the Christian Broadcasting Network [CBN] featured an amazing story of divine escape. According to the story a pilot named Chris Hall escaped from a burning plane after it had crashed.  Chris, who is a Christian had been on a test flight of a new plane, and was heading towards Brownwood Regional Airport Texas, when he noticed the engine losing power. When he reached down to push the throttle forward to go full power, he found that the plane engine had gone dead. Chris tried to restart the engine but it wouldn’t turn over. What he didn’t know then was that his fuel pump had failed. As the plane continued to go down, he realized he was going to crash. So he said a prayer out loud to God.  As the plane eventually hit the ground, Chris jumped up to push open the door to escape but suddenly everything went orange as the plane burst into flames.

A friend of Chris’s who was waiting for him on the tarmac, when he saw the explosion in the distance, began to run towards the crash site, all the while praying fervently that God would save Chris. And God did indeed save him. The airport rescue team who responded to the emergency, as they saw the black smoke coming up, didn’t believe anybody would have come out of the fire alive. It was a huge fireball, at least four to 500 feet in the air.  But to their greatest amazement Christ walked out of the flaming inferno.  Chris was quickly rushed to the nearest hospital, where he was stabilized and it was found he had no broken bones or internal injuries. However, after the doctors assessed him, their report was that he would spend many months in the hospital before full recovery, their concern being the amount of skin grafts required to heal the 2nd and 3rd degree burns covering over 20 percent of his body.  But Chris’s family kept praying and believing God and within two weeks he was out of the hospital. And today Chris goes around churches sharing the story of God’s faithfulness and his miraculous escape from the clutches of death.

Chris’s miraculous escape from a burning plane is of course not common place, but that is the difference the blood of Jesus makes in the life of a child of God. Indeed we have a covenant of protection with God through the blood of Jesus. It is a covenant of exception, which means that what happens to others is not permitted to happen to us. As we serve God our case and portion is definitely different. By covenant, we are exempted from evil occurrences, untimely death, sickness, poverty, and every other evil in the world.  And this covenant is based on the power that is in the blood of Jesus.

In Exodus 12:13 God says ‘And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’

By the mark of the blood of the lamb,  death will always pass over us. Just as the case of Goshen was different by the blood we are exempted from afflictions of the Egyptians.  Psalm 91 says that when we make The Lord our refuge a thousand will fall by our side and ten thousand at our right hand yet it will not come near us. Why? Because we are protected by the blood of Jesus. His Name is a strong tower that we run into and we are safe. To live a life of victory we must learn to exercise the benefits of Christ’s  sacrifice by always applying the blood of Jesus over our lives. The blood of the Lamb is inexhaustible and never lacking in power. The power of the blood of Jesus has provided everything we need to live a life of victory, including Redemption, fellowship, healing, protection and authority over the enemy. Truly by the blood we are healed, we are protected, we are favored, we are exempted from all harm.

The Bible says in Revelation 12:11 ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives to the death.’

By the blood of Jesus we will always overcome every evil agenda and escape every trap aimed at truncating our glorious destiny. Indeed through the blood of Jesus, everything resisting the unveiling of our glory, are brought under divine judgment in Jesus Name.

PRAYER:  Lord please grant me the grace to know that my case is different. By the revelation of the power in the Blood of Jesus please enable me to begin to understand and exercise my covenant rights as a child of God in Jesus Name.  .

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The tests you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony. – WORDBITE 222

James 4:6  ‘But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’

DAILY READING – –  Romans 6; 1 Samuel 15; Psalm 60

General William Booth is the founder of the Salvation army, which is a Christian movement with a quasi-military structure. It was modeled after the military, with its own flag and its own music, The salvation army has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world and is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid. However , it is remarkable that its founder, William Booth, grew up in poverty, His family was so poor that when his father could no longer afford his school fees, he apprenticed the 13-year-old William Booth to a pawnbroker. But William trained himself in writing and in speech and read extensively. He would later become a Methodist local preacher and in 1865, he founded  The salvation army. Eventually William Booth established the work of the salvation army in 58 countries and colonies, travelling extensively and holding, “salvation meetings.” In his later years, the salvation army was so successful that Booth was received in audience by kings, emperors and presidents, who were among his ardent admirers. Even the mass media began to use his title of ‘General’ with reverence. And even years after his death, in 2002, Booth was named among the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll. However despite the height of success he attained, Booth continually gave all the credit to God for taking him from grass to grace. Once General booth was asked the secret of his success. Tears came to his eyes as he answered , ‘I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities; but I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was’”

William booth gave his all to God. And God worked through him to achieve great success in the salvation army. Indeed we must understand that our breakthrough does not lie in our strength, hard work, or mental smartness, rather our breakthrough lies in the grace of God that makes great.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul said “I am what I am by the grace of God”.

When you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and let God have all of you, He will work through you to accomplish  His will. When self dies, and God takes you over, He will cause you to make great impacts in your generation. Grace is our guaranteed flight into greatness, but only the meek can get on board. We must therefore learn to be humble and continually acknowledge the hand of God in our affairs. We must always proclaim God the doer of every good thing in our lives. It is only because of The Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. It is only by His grace that we can succeed.

Pride is an anti-grace virus that cripples and strangulates grace upon a man’s life. It is a silent destroyer of grace.

James 4:6 says: ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble’.

Indeed God is our qualification; without Him we can do nothing. Therefore, for every victory, we must be quick to acknowledge God’s hand at work. Battles are won only by the grace of God.

Indeed we are in the days of greatness. We are in an unprecedented season of seeing the glory of God unveiled. Therefore it is important for us to jealously guard the grace upon our lives. When the happenings around you is bigger than you, acknowledge grace at work. When things occur around you that is inexplicable, understand that grace has taken over. When no one can understand your life’s turnaround, realize that grace has made a way for you. Everything that makes great has its roots in grace! Therefore, for every progress we see, all the praise must go to God. He alone is our glory and the lifter up of our heads.

PRAYER: Lord, Thank You for the glory You are set to unveil in my life this year. For every progress I make, please grant me the grace to always acknowledge Your hand upon my life. Enable me to become totally dependent on You as I journey from glory to glory  in Jesus Name.

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The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you – WORDBITE 222.

Leviticus 6:13  “the Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.’

DAILY READING – – Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59

On December 11, 2013 CNN reported that a family  who went for a weekend outing in the snow, in the back country of northwestern Nevada, soon found that their adventure had turned into a fight for survival. While driving along in the snow, their jeep had accidentally turned over, and slid down an embankment until it ended up in a crevice 15 miles from their town. It was an desperate situation because they were trapped in the crevice.  They couldn’t get out and had to wait and pray that rescuers would find them. Understandably, they were alarmed, because they had no blankets to keep warm in the cold snowy environment. Also they had no extra food and water. When dawn broke the following day to a temperature of 21°C below zero, the situation for the family of two adults and four children looked quite bleak. However, instead of panicking the parents began to think of a way to survive the cold. In order to keep everyone warm, they started a fire outside. Then they heated stones and placed them in the spare tire to keep the children, ages 3 to 10, warm at night.

Meanwhile noticing their disappearance, relatives made a report at the sheriff’s office. Thus an intensive search was embarked upon for this family. Fortunately, rescuers did find them about 48 hours after the ordeal began. The family was found safe and it was indeed remarkable, that they had no frostbite, This was chiefly attributed to their ability to start and maintain a fire that kept them warm. By keeping the fire burning, the parents were able to keep themselves and their children alive in the cold despite being 48 hours in subzero temperatures.

Indeed to survive in a cold environment, a person must strive to keep warm. Medically, a healthy, safe body temperature has a very narrow window – between 37°C and 37.8°C.  If the body temperature goes lower by just 3 degrees, to 35°C, the person might experience hypothermia, which can cause cardiac arrest, stroke, or even death. Therefore to remain healthy in a cold environment a person must therefore strive to keep warm by keeping the body heated.

In the same way spiritually we must strive to keep warm and maintain our fire. Spiritually, the world is in a cold climate. and iniquity seems to be abounding.

Mathew 24:12 says ‘And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.’

Indeed evil and iniquity are on the increase in the world. Perversions such as; same sex marriage, bestiality, homosexuality etc, are fast becoming the norm in many nations.. And for anyone to survive this spreading spiritual coldness, fire is a necessity. You must maintain your spiritual fire so as not to be overcome by the increasing coldness. Indeed in this end-times, fire is a necessity for every believer. God’s will is for us to be blazing hot in the spirit. Psalm 104:4 says ‘He makes his messengers winds, and his ministers a flaming fire’. Indeed we are to keep our fire burning bright. In the midst of the gross darkness covering the world, the glory of The Lord is to be seen upon us. We are to be the light of the world, a city set on an hill that cannot be hid. This is God’s agenda for the end-time church. Therefore to be spiritually cold or lukewarm in this end-time is indeed dangerous.

In Revelations 3:15-16 Jesus says ‘So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.’

we must make a definite choice to be either hot or cold. We must choose whom we will serve. We can no longer afford to live a life of compromise. We can no longer afford to play games. Indeed it has become too dangerous at this time because judgement will begin  in the house of God. Therefore it is time to put our house in order. It is time for anyone that names the Name of The Lord to depart from iniquity. We must make  a definite stand for righteousness and holiness. We must keep our fire burning bright through in-depth study of God’s Word and a strong prayer life.

According to Leviticus 6:13 – “Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.”

There is a price of consecration to be paid for us to see the glory of God The Holy Spirit is referred to in Isaiah 4, as ”a spirit of burning’. We must therefore allow His fire to continually  go through us, to burn up every chaff. Indeed when you constantly carry the fire of The Spirit , you will be too hot for any devil to handle.

PRAYER; Father, please destroy every spiritual coldness in me and set me on fire by Your Spirit. Empower me to be an agent of change in my generation. Let Your light so shine through me that men will be drawn into Your kingdom in Jesus Name.

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The study of The Word will keep  shame and disgrace far from you. – WORDBITE 222.

Mathew 28:18-19   And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:.

DAILY READING   Romans 4; 1 Samuel 13; Psalm 58

Edward Payson was an American Congregational preacher in the 18th century. One Sunday, when there was a storm, he found he had only one person in his audience. That still didn’t deter him from preaching.  He must have preached down fire and brimstone, because his one audience got quickly converted. This convert later told Payson, “For whenever you talked about sin and salvation, I glanced around to see to whom you referred, but since there was no one there but me, I had no alternative but to lay every word to my own heart and conscience!”

We may not be able to preach to the entire world, but we can start where we are with who we can; one person at a time.  It has been said “Every soul with Christ is a missionary; every soul without Christ is a mission field,”

In preaching the Gospel to those around you or serving in the church, you may often wonder if you are really making any real difference. This can be so especially if we are not seeing any immediate effect of our spiritual labor.  But though we may not always see the immediate fruit of our labor, let us trust that God is working out His eternal plan and purpose, as we obey each of His leading.

The Spirit brought Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the Scriptures and needed someone to help him understand. (Acts 8:26-35). The Spirit gave Philip the right words to say, to bring the eunuch to salvation. The vibrant church growth witnessed in Ethiopia in the early centuries after Christ, is linked to this Ethiopian Eunuch’s conversion. .

God has a well mapped out strategy for the building of His Kingdom and everyone has an important part to play in the overall plan.

Mathew 28:18-19   And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost

We have been given the great commission of preaching the Gospel to the world. It is God’s plan that His glory will fill the earth. Each time we obey The Holy Spirit and share the Gospel the plan is coming together. We may not immediately  see the larger picture, but as we obey The Holy Spirit, we trust that God is at work, connecting the dots together,. But each time we are disobedient to preach we may be breaking the chain and frustrating God’s grand agenda. . Let us therefore  be obedient to preach to anyone and everyone The Spirit leads us. He alone knows the end from the beginning.  Let us be sensitive and obedient to move and obey each time The Holy Spirit is prompting us to preach to someone. We may never know the vital role such persons may eventually play in God’s overall plan. But as we obey, we can be sure God is bringing His grand plan to pass.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to be obedient to the promptings of The Spirit to preach The Gospel to those You are leading me to. May I never be ashamed of your Word, May I preach The Gospel always in season and out of season in Jesus Name.

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Whenever God places a demand on you, He is only positioning you to receive more from Him.

Psalms 119:71   It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

DAILY READING   • – Romans 3:9-31; 1 Samuel 12; Psalm 57

In 1933, shortly after assuming power as chancellor of Germany, Hitler  moved forward with plans to turn the 1936 Olympics into showcases for his regime. He ordered the construction of a massive new stadium in Berlin and channeled funds toward the completion of an airport to welcome international visitors. However at this time, Adolf Hitler preached a flawed doctrine called ‘Aryan Supremacy’ His doctrine claimed Germans were superior beings, while other races were inferior, ‘subhuman’ and should be eliminated. This he would later carry out in his systematic killing of over 6 million Jews, gypsies, blacks, Slavs, communists, etc. In fact, he deliberately kept Jews out of athletic events.

However as athletes arrived from other nations for the games, one of those representing America was a young black man named Jesse Owens. Jesse when he arrived Germany experienced hostility because he was black.

Though Jesse was unnerved by the evident disdain for the black race by the German people, he determined not to let the hatred for his race put him down, rather he decided to prove Hitler wrong before the whole world. He knew the odds were great, and he went on his knees in prayer to engage the help of God. And God did send help. As the competition commenced, Jesse shocked spectators with his amazing performance. From almost the get-go, Owens seized the reins as the star of the 1936 Summer Olympics. Owens undoubtedly stole the spotlight from the host country’s zealous leader. He broke Olympic records and won four gold medals, more than any other athlete. This made him the most successful athlete at the games. Hitler’s  ‘Aryan Supremacy’  theory was quickly overturned as people saw that a black man of the ‘subhuman’ race had defeated the ‘superior’ Germans. Hitler was so infuriated that he refused to give Jesse the traditional congratulatory handshake. But the German people were won over, and Jesse became a crowd favorite. Hitler’s hatred instead of hindering Jesse had fueled him to become one of the greatest athletes of all times.

Indeed God can use your haters to promote you. We all know that God can bless us, show us favor, promote us, heal us, but we don’t always realize, God can use our enemies to bless us. The truth is that you couldn’t reach your destiny without them.  it’s all a part of God’s plan to get you to where you’re supposed to be. In the journey of life, just as God has divine connections lined up, He also has people who will be used to push you. Goliaths are not for your destruction, but for your elevation. Discouragers and haters can stir you up. Those against us perhaps help us sometimes more than our friends.  So understand that your haters are serving an important purpose in your destiny. We wouldn’t reach our highest potential without oppositions. If God removed some of oppositions today, you probably would become spiritually lazy. So God allows them sometimes as thorns on your side, to keep you pressing forward. Just as God strategically placed Goliath on David’s path and also used Joseph’s brothers; haters can push you to your throne. Without the naysayers you wouldn’t become all you were created to be. Thank God for your friends but also learn to thank God for your enemies. That’s why Paul tells us in Romans 12:20  ‘if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink’. Why? Because he is helping your destiny. You need to see people that oppose you in a new light. They are there to make you better, not bitter. They are there to press you so that the treasure buried in you can flow out. Perhaps if Hitler had not disdained  the black race, Jesse may not have pushed as hard as he did to win the 4 gold medals, and prove him wrong. So instead of being discouraged by oppositions ask God to give you the needed wisdom to thrive. It is by the wisdom of God that pressures are turned to pleasures. The Holy Spirit as you seek Him, will show you how to maximize the situation. When  you stay in faith, God will turn your stumbling blocks to stepping stones. He will turn your pain into power, and  your mourning into dancing.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to see those that oppose me through the light of your Word. Help me to know that You are using them to move me into my greater destiny. .Grant me  the grace to still love them despite what they may have done, because I know all things are working together for my good in Jesus name. .

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When God places His hand upon a man,  nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.- WORDBITE 222.